bing posts

Filed under: Internet, Microsoft, Search

Rejoice, surfers! Bing it up with free WiFi access across the US

by Sebastian Anthony Nov 10th 2009

In exchange for just one search on Bing, Microsoft's new search engine, Microsoft will grant you free WiFi access on hotspots nationwide (but mostly in airports and hotels).

Apparently the offer began in September but perhaps they've been steadily unrolling it across the country as they only just announced it officially yesterday.

It's an interesting approach to marketing, and no doubt not the cheapest one either. But they're reporting good 'engagement rates' well above the usual .1 or .2% and will continue the scheme for the foreseeable future -- so enjoy your free wireless access! (As a juicy, related titbit, and in no way coincidental, Yahoo will be providing free wireless access at Times Square in New York City, for an entire year.)

Whether it's worth Microsoft's money or not may never be known. But one thing's for certain: Microsoft are famous for their brazen and fearless love of loss-leading -- they have the cash to do it, so why not?

And I tell you what... I would switch to Bing if Microsoft paid for my Internet connection. Wouldn't you? Now there's an interesting thought.

[via MediaPost]

Tags: bing, marketing, microsoft, search, wifi

Filed under: Design, Internet, Features, Microsoft, Search

MSN.com gets its first major redesign in a decade

by Jay Hathaway Nov 4th 2009

MSN.com, Microsoft's search, news and services portal page, hasn't weathered the years well. Tweaking the same basic design for a decade left it far behind the times in terms of design and usability. With today's clean, whitespace-friendly, reimagining of MSN.com, Microsoft ditches the spectre of MSN search and delivers a site that's a little more worthy of showcasing the company's new search hotness, Bing.

A prettier, less cluttered layout and a prominent Bing search bar aren't the only upgrades to the homepage. In a touch that says Microsoft actually knows what year it is after all, you can add your Facebook newsfeed and your Twitter stream to an area on the right side of the page. The news is still there, but it's more customizable, and the layout presents fewer stories at a time than the cluttered old MSN.com did. There's also a local focus, with local weather and a Bing-powered local news widget at the bottom left.

I have to say that, compared to the MSN of old, this new design looks attractive and functional. Speaking of comparisons, though, have a look at our gallery of MSN.com designs since 2001. Looking at how slowly the site changed over the years only underlines how much it just changed overnight.

Gallery: MSN.com through the years

Tags: bing, homepage, microsoft, msn, msn.com, redesign

Filed under: Google, Search

It's not just Bing - Google makes Twitter search deal, too

by Jay Hathaway Oct 21st 2009

When Microsoft partnered with Twitter to allow its Bing search engine to index tweets in real time, it looked like they had finally gotten the jump on Google at something. Just hours later, Google VP Marissa Mayer announced that the big G had made a Twitter deal, too. Although Bing's Twitter product is out today, Google's won't be too far behind.

It looks like Google intends to use tweets to augment search results for up-to-the-minute data. In the official Google blog post on the subject, Mayer gives the example of weather conditions at a ski resort. Getting access to tweets is good for Google, but Bing still has the advantage of being the first to snag the Facebook deal. How long until Google gets one of those, as well?

Tags: bing, google, real-time, realtime, search, twitter

Filed under: Business, Web services, Search, Microblogging

Bing makes search deals with Facebook and Twitter

by Jay Hathaway Oct 21st 2009

With so much hype about real-time as the future of search, it makes sense that the major players in search would make moves to partner up with real-time networks like Facebook and Twitter. What's surprising is that the first big move is coming from Microsoft Bing, and not from Google. At today's Web 2.0 summit, Bing announced deals with Twitter and Facebook, which will allow Bing to start searching those sites' status updates. The Twitter search was demonstrated at the conference, and you should be able to play with it ~~later today~~ at bing.com/twitter. The Facebook product isn't due out until later, but it will give Bing access to all Facebook's public status updates.

Bing showed off some impressive features of its Twitter search product at the conference, including filtering of duplicate tweets and adult content. It also expands bit.ly URLs, so you know where those shortlinks lead. Unlike Twitter's own search, Bing's product attempts to deliver not just the most recent tweets, but the most relevant.

Apparently, both Twitter and Facebook have been talking to Google as well, but Bing is first to make a deal. The two deals are separate and non-exclusive, meaning that Twitter and Facebook aren't getting into bed together (yet) and that there's still room for Google to make a play like the one Microsoft just pulled off.

[via CNET]

Tags: bing, facebook, real-time, realtime, search, twitter

Filed under: Search, Humor

Blind Search reveals your real favorite search engine

by Jay Hathaway Aug 18th 2009

Most people would say that Google is their favorite search engine. Hell, a lot of people think that Google is the only search engine, the same way some people refer to every soft drink as a "Coke." If Google is Coke, though, then Bing is Pepsi, and Blind Search is the Pepsi Challenge for search engines. Use it to take a blind taste of the results from Google, Bing, and Yahoo!, and find out which search engine you really prefer.

Considering the recently-announced Bing/Yahoo! partnership, you might want to go ahead and ignore the Yahoo! results. Regardless, it's still surprising to find out that Google doesn't turn out to be the best choice every time. Still, from the results Blind Search has collected so far, users appear to enjoy the great taste of Google 41% of the time, vs. 31% for Bing and 28% for Yahoo!

What did Blind Search tell you? Were you surprised by the results? Let us know in the comments.

[via Switched]

Tags: bing, blind-search, google, search, search engines, SearchEngines, yahoo

Filed under: Internet, Analysis, Op-Ed

Bing isn't taking over the internet yet, everyone calm down

by Victor Agreda, Jr. Jul 9th 2009

I keep seeing a sensational story from Mashable flash across my radars today: "Bing Now Bigger Than Digg, Twitter and CNN." Golly, I guess millions in TV advertising really can make you win in this crazy marketplace, huh? Not so fast, bucko. Google isn't going anywhere, and digg, Twitter and CNN folks are likely not sweating this any more than I am. Why?

First of all, let's consider the source. Compete.com is the "unwashed masses" product from Compete, Inc. Competitors of these guys include heavyweights like comScore, Nielsen/NetRatinga and Alexa. Granted, Compete was bought by research firm Taylor Nelson Sofres back in 2008, but their 2007 revenues weren't terrific. I'm not saying Compete's data is wrong, but I am saying that there's a little potential for self-serving headline grabbing here. I wonder what Compete's stats for today have been, eh? Well, according to their own site, Compete does better traffic than Alexa, and it looks like they get more than double Alexa's traffic. So maybe they're not so small, and maybe this is great. But Compete is just another 3rd party player here, so we can't be 100% on these metrics to begin with. Oh, and the kicker: these are US visitors only.

Now on to the data. How could Bing grab so many new users in so little time? Hmmm. Well, none of us bloggers have been able to shut up about it, but to be honest, not that many people listen to us. But it might be two other factors (call this a hunch):

Tags: analytics, bing, google, mashable

Filed under: Internet, Microsoft, Search

Bing addresses porn controversy with separate domain for explicit content

by Jay Hathaway Jun 16th 2009

The last time we talked about the uproar over Bing's live video previews including some explicit material, Lee was reporting that Microsoft had changed the default safesearch features to block porn. A week later, they've taken one further step to reassure concerned customers that they're not going to accidentally see XXX videos. Potentially explicit videos and images are now served from their own domain, explicit.bing.net.

They've also gone ahead and added the source URL into the query string. The average user's not going to look at that, but it makes things easy for corporate filters to just block anything with "explicit.bing.net" in the string. I'm not sure if this is overcorrecting for a mistake that, as Lee argued, wasn't that bad to begin with. It should definitely put to rest any remain concerns that Bing should be renamed Microsoft Live Porn, though.

Tags: bing, controversy, explicit, porn, safesearch

Filed under: Search, Op-Ed

Oh god, get the New York Post out of my tech news!

by Lee Mathews Jun 15th 2009

When Alexander Hamilton founded the New York Post back in 1801, he probably had no idea that the paper would eventually be turned into a sensationalist tabloid by Rupert Murdoch. Similarly, when Rupert Murdoch purchased the Post in 1976, he probably didn't think the paper would ever try to cover tech news.

The same paper that brings you headlines like "18-YEAR OLD ARRESTED FOR SERIAL CAT MURDERS" and "FOOD CART SCAMMERS RAISE THE DEAD" have decided to cover the ongoing Google v. Bing feud.

Apparently Sergey Brin is shaking in his boots, so worried about the threat Bing! poses that he's hired a group of former Vietnam POWs that escaped a maximum security stockade and sought refuge in the Los Angeles underground...No wait, that's the A-Team.

Brin has put together a team of "top engineers to work on urgent upgrades to his Web service." His web service? Which one, Post? Apps? Gmail? No, you mean "to his search engine."

Tags: bing, fail, google, new-york-post, roflcopter, sergey-brin

Filed under: Internet, Blogging, Microsoft, Search

Back up the porn bus - Bing responds to pressure over previews

by Lee Mathews Jun 4th 2009

First off, don't worry - if you were using Bing to preview naughty videos in thumbnail-sized awesomeness, this doesn't mean the fun is over.

In a post on the Bing blog, the crew has announced that they have tweaked search settings in response to concerns from corporate customers. The changes should now allow Bing to play nicely with firewalls and safety products. Adding adlt=strict to Bing query strings will also force the filter to activate, even if a user has disabled it manually.

They've also offered some insight as to why the previews are there in the first place:

What's cool about the technology is that it helps you decide if it is a video you want to go watch.This makes it easier to sort through the clutter of all those results and help you get to what you are looking for. And as a publisher, when people leave Bing for your site (and require bandwidth on your servers) it tends to be higher quality traffic because folks are sure of what they wanted to watch. Plus, we think it's pretty cool.

It's still only a few clicks to shut off the filter, so not much has really changed. Loic LeMeur's jab that "You are now on a porn site without leaving bing. Amazing" still holds true. But, ah, as I pointed out earlier, that's true of every damn search engine on the Internet.

[ via CNet ]

Tags: bing, fail, porn

Filed under: Internet, Search

Why exactly are we criticizing Bing for porn previews?

by Lee Mathews Jun 4th 2009

When Bing debuted two days ago, there was a flood of activity as people rushed to kick the tires on Microsoft's new ~~search~~ decision engine. Some liked it, some didn't. And some found a feature that made them titter like gaggle of adolescent boys sneaking glances at a dirty magazine.

Yes, Bing's video preview thumbnails display watchable porn. When you search for it. And you have the adult filter turned off. Big blogs, internet personalities like Loic LeMeur, and even Fox News were all over this. Yes, the same Fox News that just proclaimed Apple and Firefox two of the top three search engines.

Wait, why is this a problem?

Bing, like other search engines, tries its best to index content on the Internet. Want in on a little secret? The Internet is full of porn. Full. Think about the fullest thing you can imagine, then fill thirty seven of it. That's how much porn there is on the 'net. Heck, last week (thanks to a 4chan raid) there was even a flood of raunchy videos on YouTube.

You can turn off safe search on Google and the image results will get pretty racy - downright terrifying in some cases. Same with Yahoo - and turning off the filter is WAY easier there. Heck, search Twitter and see what people like Cytherea are tweeting (If you don't know who she is, don't look her up. She's a porn star.).

Tags: bing, google, porn

Filed under: Microsoft, Search

Microsoft launches first Bing commercial, plus Bing Mobile

by Brad Linder Jun 3rd 2009

Microsoft is moving full steam ahead with its new Bing search engine. Today the company launched the mobile version of the site.

Bing Mobile is a stripped down version of the search engine, designed to fit on a mobile web browser. It provides you with results split up into web pages, images, news, local, and maps, typically with the most relevant information at the top. For instance, if you search for "Philadelphia," the first result is a map and links to traffic information. But if you search for "iPhone" you'll get web and image results first.

You don't get all of the features found in the desktop version of Bing. For instance, you won't find many curated results.

As for the new ad campaign, it fall somewhere between the "what were they thinking" Bill Gates/Jerry Seinfeld show and the new, much more successful "laptop hunters" campaign. Basically, the TV spot tries to paint Bing as the next big thing in internet search, and a better place to find answers to your questions. It just doesn't say how. And I could be wrong, but I think Microsoft may be trying to blame the global financial collapse on the fact that Google's search wasn't good enough? Check out the video below and let us know what you think Microsoft is trying to say here.

Tags: bing, bing-mobile

Filed under: Microsoft, Mobile

Microsoft's Bing 411 offers phone numbers, directions over the phone

by Brad Linder Jun 1st 2009

You probably heard that Microsoft launched a new search engine called Bing today. What you might have missed is the fact that the company also launched Bing 411, a free service which is a direct competitor to Google's GOOG 411.

Here's how it works. You dial 1-800-Bing 411 (1-800-246-4411) from any phone and tell the friendly computer voice what city and state you're looking for information in. Then give it a name and Bing 411 will attempt to locate an address and phone number. You can have the service connect you, give you the phone number, or give you directions over the phone or via text message.

The service works pretty well. I was able to get driving directions from my home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Microsoft's corporate campus in Redmond, Washington. Surprisingly, it only takes 28 steps, but Bing 411 helpfully told me it would take two days to drive all 2700 miles.

You can also use Bing 411 to get traffic reports, find movie showtimes, or listen to weather forecasts. Weather, traffic, and directions are only available in the US.

I did somehow manage to cause a glitch in the Bing at one point. The digital voice went into a little feedback loop and said the same words three or four times before correcting itself. But for a product that just launched today, I was pretty impressed with Bing 411.

[via TechCrunch]

Tags: bing, bing-411, goog-411

Filed under: Internet, Microsoft, Search

Bing goes live...or is that Live goes Bing?

by Lee Mathews Jun 1st 2009

In the wee hours of the morning, Microsoft flipped the switch and whether you like the name or not, Live Search has been bumped by Bing.

After finally getting a chance to test it out, I'm definitely more likely to use Bing than I was to use Live search. While it doesn't have the same tricks up its sleeves as Google (~~like unit conversions and exchange rates~~ yes, yes it does - thanks, Bob!) it's still got plenty of nice touches. Search for a pro athlete, like the Red Wings' Jonathan Ericsson, and you'll get stats from his last performance, upcoming games, and more. Pretty slick.

You can also subscribe to any set of results via RSS and save search history in your Live account. The related searches, suggested refinements (like fights, biography, and quotes in the picture), and on-hover snippets help make researching a topic easier.

As Inquistir's Duncan Riley points out, things aren't all working the way we were promised in teaser videos. Example: hotel and shopping searches don't automatically present the tweaked results views - you'll need to go to bing.com/shopping or bing.com/travel to try them out.

Firefox users wanting to add Bing to you search box, here's your addon - contributed by our pal Long Zheng at IStartedSomething. Live Search addons will still work just fine, too.

If you've tested it out already, share your impressions in the comments!

Tags: bing, live-search

Filed under: Microsoft, Search

Ballmer says "search deserves a good feature war" as Bing nears release

by Lee Mathews May 28th 2009

Don't call it a Google killer. At the D7 conference, Steve Ballmer told the audience while "there is no way to change the whole game in one step,"search engines "deserves a good feature war." The soon-to-be-unveiled Bing is a big step forward for Microsoft.

When it publicly premiers on June 3rd, Microsoft hopes that what makes Bing different will also make it a success.

Eschewing Google's minimalism, Bing brings a different take on displaying results and added eye candy to the fight. Instead of a stark page with a dead-center search box, you'll find the input box hovering over brightly-colored full-page images. Hover over key spots on the image and factoids pop up - another nice touch that makes the search experience a little more "friendly."

Microsoft VP Yusuf Mehdi calls Bing a "more of a decision engine," designed to assist users in completing search tasks rather than making them sift through possible matches. Results are tailored to a user's query, presenting different views for searches for things like product reviews, travel information, images, and local queries. Bing also makes use of Powerset (who Microsoft acquired last year) to provide previews and snippets when hovering your pointer over results.

There will be plenty more for us to look at once Bing is rolled out. We'll check with you in a few days when the doors are fully opened and see what you think.

(update: watch MS poke fun at Google in the YouTube clip after the break)

[via TechCrunch]

Tags: bing, kumo

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bing posts

Rejoice, surfers! Bing it up with free WiFi access across the US